Shame to see Michael Raffl get hurt the other day. No idea how long hell be out, but hes been with the Flyers for seven years and is one of the more popular players in their locker room.
Alain Vigneault will have to dip into his reserves and bring Joel Farabee up for Thursdays game against the Capitals. A win in regulation will assure the Flyers of finishing with no worse than the No. 3 seed, with the outlook of moving even higher a distinct possibility.
Youre signed up to get this newsletter in your inbox twice a week for the rest of the Flyers season. If you like what youre reading, tell your friends its free to sign up here. We want to know what you think, what we should add, and what you want to read, so send me feedback by email or, more preferably, on Twitter (@EdBarkowitz). Thank you for reading.
Ed Barkowitz (flyers@inquirer.com)
Thompson and Grant fit right on in
For any number of reasons we are all too familiar with, its easy to forget where the Flyers were when Chuck Fletcher acquired Nate Thompson and Derek Grant at the trade deadline.
Inquirer Morning Newsletter
Get the news you need to start your day
They were three points from being out of the playoffs. At least the playoffs as originally intended.
If play had been halted on Feb. 24 and the new postseason format drawn up, the Flyers would have been the Easts sixth seed and in the middle of a five-game qualifying series against Florida.
But, of course, play continued until March 12. The Flyers, who were on a three-game winning streak when Thompson and Grant were acquired, stretched it to nine games before a loss to the Bruins on March 10.
They jumped ahead of the Penguins, who acquired Conor Sheary and Patrick Marleau in their trade-deadline haul. They sped past the Islanders, who added Jean-Gabriel Pageau, the biggest name on the market.
Thompson has played for eight teams in 13 years. Hes been traded four times, so he knows all about being the new kid trying to make friends in a new school. Or, in his case, a new team.
This group has a lot of fun together, said Thompson, who scored a goal Sunday and helped kill three Boston power plays. I saw it right from when I got here, me and Derek Grant. I think its the core group of guys here thats been here a while. Its an inclusive group.
Raffl is among that core group.
The nature of the quarantine, Grant said, has helped grow the off-ice relationships Grant and Thompson have with their 30 or so new friends.
There were online poker tournaments during the stoppage and some more bonding up in the Toronto bubble. Its even been a little profitable for Grant, who should expect a nice raise from his league-minimum $700,000 contract as an unrestricted free agent when the season ends.
I dont think weve played any poker yet [in Toronto), but we have a team lounge here and the guys are always hanging out in there, said Grant, mentioning a spirited game of Jenga recently. Whether were watching games or playing board games, I think me and Nisky [Matt Niskanen] took Pitters [Tyler Pitlicks] money yesterday in a game of Sequence. Theres lots of things to do here for us, and the lounge is a great place to hang out.
The Flyers are 7-1 since acquiring the two centers. Parlor games aside, I go back to what Shayne Gostisbehere said the day the Flyers acquired Thompson (6-foot-1, 205 pounds) and Grant (6-3, 206). The real reason they were brought to Philadelphia.
I call them playoff bodies, for sure, Ghost said. You look at the couple teams that won [Stanley Cups lately], they had some big bodies like that. I think thats a huge positive for us.
The Flyers killed three Boston power plays Sunday, a key reason for their victory. The top four forwards used by assistant coach Mike Yeo on the PK groups were not with the club last season.
Here is how the penalty-killing ice time was distributed among the forwards: Tyler Pitlick, 2:16; Nate Thompson, 2:06; Kevin Hayes, 1:59; Derek Grant, 1:54; Sean Couturier, 1:25; Scott Laughton, 1:03; Claude Giroux, :57; Michael Raffl, :20.
The standard over/under for a hockey game is 5.5 goals. Sometimes its higher. Rarely is it lower.
Of the first 16 games since meaningful play began Saturday, 12 have been under 5.5 goals. Theres been a lot of sweating from bettors, however, as seven of those 12 have finished exactly at five goals. Nothing was wilder than the end of Winnipegs 3-2 win over Calgary on Monday when the Jets just missed a goal into an empty-net shot from 190+ feet away in the scramble of the waning seconds.
All games in Toronto/home team listed has last line change.
Wednesday: Tampa Bay at Boston, 4 p.m. (NBCSN)
Thursday: Washington at Flyers, time/TV TBA
Saturday: Flyers at Tampa Bay, time/TV TBA
Sunday: Boston at Washington, time/TV TBA
Tuesday, Aug. 11: First round of playoffs begin
Question: Of the possible opponents the Flyers could have in the first round who would you least want them to play? Brandon McComsey via Twitter
Answer: Pittsburgh is the obvious answer, based on experience, skill and how much an opening-round series against a bitter rival would take out of the survivor. Another team that would concern me is Carolina. I know the Flyers were 3-0-1 against Rod BrindAmours team during the regular season, but the Canes added a number of solid pieces at the trade deadline (Vincent Trocheck, Sami Vatanaen, Brady Skjei) and it looks like Dougie Hamilton is close to returning.
Send questions by email or on Twitter to Ed Barkowitz (@EdBarkowitz) or Sam Carchidi (@BroadStBull), and they could be answered in a future edition.
Read more here:
- This Week in Poker Podcasts - Pokerfuse - December 16th, 2020
- BetOnline Offering Players A Bitcoin Boost On Their Online Poker Deposits - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - December 16th, 2020
- Get the Inside Story on THAT James Bond Poker Hand - PokerNews.com - December 16th, 2020
- Ike Haxton Calls for Live Poker to be Boycotted amid COVID-19 Crisis - HighstakesDB - December 14th, 2020
- Gabe Kaplan and AJ Benza Return As Hosts For New Season of High Stakes Poker TV Show - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - December 14th, 2020
- BetMGM CEO: U.S. Online Poker Will Again Have Period In Sunshine - US Bets - December 14th, 2020
- PokerStars Blowout Series Offers $60M In Gts | My Blog - Tight Poker - December 14th, 2020
- Election Bets: Who are Poker Players Putting Their Money On? - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020
- Phil Galfond: Run It Once Poker SNGs "Just Around the Corner" - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020
- I've won more than $4 million playing pokerhere's my No. 1 secret to successful decision-making - CNBC - November 3rd, 2020
- Sudden rush in the Poker Industry in India European Gaming Industry News - European Gaming Industry News - November 3rd, 2020
- MGM Grand To Host Freeroll Tournaments Funded By Unused Jackpot Money From Closed Strip Poker Rooms - CardPlayer.com - November 3rd, 2020
- How to Avoid the Most Common Forms of Cheating in Poker - TimesOfCasino - November 3rd, 2020
- The Pros And Cons Of Playing Poker In An Online Casino - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - November 3rd, 2020
- We Take a Look at the Polk vs. Negreanu Betting Odds - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020
- Intertops Poker is hosting a new slots tournament this week - World Casino Directory - November 3rd, 2020
- The Great Thing About Poker? "Anyone Can Learn To Win - PokerNews.com - November 3rd, 2020
- To Play Poker in a Pandemic, Americans Flee the U.S. - The New York Times - September 5th, 2020
- Partypoker is Also Returning To Live Poker Circuit With Stop in Russia this Month - Pokerfuse - September 5th, 2020
- Poker Operators Should Try Themed Poker Rooms | My Blog - Tight Poker - September 5th, 2020
- How Poker Became the Casino Favorite It Is Today - Pokerfuse - September 5th, 2020
- The Cross-Platform And Cross-Gen Poker Club Brings Social Play To Switch Later This Year - Nintendo Life - September 5th, 2020
- Why Investing in Tesla Is a Bit Like Texas Hold 'Em Poker - RealMoney - September 5th, 2020
- Poker run is this weekend in Brookings | Neighbors - Watertown Public Opinion - September 5th, 2020
- Bayern and Inter involved in "Perisic Poker" - Bulinews.com - September 2nd, 2020
- Ripstone Brings Poker Back to Video Game Consoles - Beat The Fish - September 2nd, 2020
- ARE THERE CASINO OR POKER TOURNAMENTS ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT? - Island Echo - September 2nd, 2020
- Benjamin Pollak Latest Player to Join Team partypoker - PokerNews.com - September 2nd, 2020
- Top Ranked Poker Sites to Play in 2020 - Programming Insider - August 10th, 2020
- The Deck Is Not Rigged: Poker and the Limits of AI - Singularity Hub - August 10th, 2020
- Chrome Dragons Riding Club hosts 2nd Annual Kids and Heroes Poker Run - WBOY.com - August 10th, 2020
- Know the odds before you act when playing poker - GamingTodaySlotsToday - August 10th, 2020
- Variations of Poker That is Worth Knowing About - Programming Insider - August 10th, 2020
- Irish poker player scoops $100k and World Series of Poker gold bracelet 22 years after father won same title - The Irish Sun - August 10th, 2020
- Poker in Print: The Godfather of Poker (2012) - CalvinAyre.com - August 9th, 2020
- Homeless Sex Offender Charged In Connection With World Poker Tour Star Susie Zhao Death - Deadline - August 8th, 2020
- Suspect arrested in death of pro poker player found burned at Michigan park - MLive.com - August 8th, 2020
- 'Going to the Dogs' Poker Run and Silent Auction to benefit CCAPS - Magnolia Banner News - August 8th, 2020
- Online Charity Poker Tournament Helps Fly Sick Children to Medical Care - Look to the Stars - August 8th, 2020
- Man, 60, in custody in connection to death of professional poker player Susie Zhao - Detroit Free Press - August 8th, 2020
- Heads Up Poker Podcast: 234 - Steve and Carlos: WITWICWRN - Pokerfuse - August 8th, 2020
- What Site Offers the Best Online Poker Bonus in 2020? - PokerNews.com - August 7th, 2020
- 60-year-old man arrested in connection with Oakland Co. professional poker player's death - WXYZ - August 7th, 2020
- An Open Letter To The WSOP: Why Mixed Games Are Good For Poker Player Development - Poker News - CardPlayer.com - August 7th, 2020
- From poker pro to slaying victim: Susie Q's unlikely story - The Detroit News - August 3rd, 2020
- Hugh Freyer, Poker Player With Discretion of a Banker, Dies at 86 - The New York Times - August 3rd, 2020
- Why Negreanu thinks Ivey is the best poker player in the world - Comcast SportsNet Chicago - August 3rd, 2020
- Facebook develops AI algorithm that learns to play poker on the fly - VentureBeat - August 3rd, 2020
- Man arrested in connection with death of Waterford Twp. pro poker player - The Detroit News - August 2nd, 2020
- Poker Strategy: In Omaha, Outs Aren't Everything, It's Whether You Improve Enough - Poker News Daily - August 2nd, 2020
- Police arrest suspect connected to apparent killing of professional poker player Susie Zhao - ABC News - August 2nd, 2020
- Why Daniel Negreanu Thinks Phil Ivey Is the Best Poker Player in the World - NBC Chicago - August 2nd, 2020
- Person in custody in connection with Oakland County professional poker player's death - WXYZ - August 1st, 2020
- PKO US: Progressive Knockouts Roll out to Global Poker, WPN and Partypoker NJ - Pokerfuse - August 1st, 2020
- Ethan Yau Brings Audience Into His World Series of Poker Dream - PocketFives - August 1st, 2020
- Facebooks New ReBel Poker AI Scores Higher than Pluribus - Beat The Fish - July 31st, 2020
- Ivonne Montealegre discusses how live poker is embracing the online space - CalvinAyre.com - July 31st, 2020
- Hugh Freyer, Poker Player With the Discretion of a Banker, Dies at 86 - The New York Times - July 30th, 2020
- Poker, Metacognition and 'The Biggest Bluff' | Learning Innovation - Inside Higher Ed - July 30th, 2020
- Facebook AI ReBel Capable of Beating Poker Pros | My Blog - Tight Poker - July 30th, 2020
- How to attract more luck into your life, using the 'poker mindset' - Business Insider - Business Insider - July 30th, 2020
- Poker, Metacognition, and 'The Biggest Bluff' | Learning Innovation - Inside Higher Ed - July 30th, 2020
- What Are the Best Poker Apps of 2020? - GameIndustry.com - July 30th, 2020
- Kai Havertz WILL face Rangers as Chelsea 'poker game' forces dramatic U-turn over 80m superstar - Daily Record - July 30th, 2020
- Man Utd in transfer 'poker game' for winger that could save Ed Woodward 55m - Express - July 29th, 2020
- This book is the new 'Moneyball' (and every investor should read it) - The Australian Financial Review - July 28th, 2020
- 5 Best Online Poker Sites for Real Money (2020) - July 26th, 2020
- Best 7 Online Poker Sites (2020) for Real Money - July 26th, 2020
- Best 9 Online Poker Sites for Real Money 2020 - Bonus to ... - July 26th, 2020
- Josh & Heather Altman Threw Son Ace an Adorable Poker-Themed 1st Birthday Bash - Bravo - July 26th, 2020
- Inside the world of Daniel Negreanu: The life and making of poker's biggest superstar - Mirror Online - July 26th, 2020
- Dont Hold Your Breath: Live Poker Not A Top Priority In Reopened PA Casinos Yet - Penn Bets - July 21st, 2020
- Chasing Poker Greatness: #68 Andrew Brokos: Co-Host ThinkingPoker Podcast & Author of Play Optimal Poker - Pokerfuse - July 21st, 2020
- The Phil Ivey Of Poker - HBCU Buzz - July 21st, 2020
- Venetian poker room going to 8-handed tables - Las Vegas Review-Journal - July 21st, 2020
- The Deck Is Not Rigged: Poker and the Limits of AI - Undark Magazine - July 21st, 2020
- NJ Special Legislation and the Impact on Online Casino Players in NY - Blog - The Island Now - July 21st, 2020
- Trump's approach to politics bears the hallmarks of a bad poker player, author says - CBC.ca - July 21st, 2020
- Key Points To Consider When Choosing Online Poker Tables - Top10PokerWebsites - July 21st, 2020
- The Most Famous Woman in the History of Gambling - Poker Alice Story - Newswire - July 21st, 2020